Is ‘wellness by interior design’ just another fad and part of the growing wellness washing trend – or is there actually something to it?
Studio Mae
Global interior design studio transforming spaces to enhance physical + mental wellbeing
It’s crazy to think that just five years ago, when we came together to launch Studio Mae, the concept of ‘wellness by interior design’ was unheard of by most.
People were aware that their environment was affecting their mood and ability to sleep, relax or focus, of course – but it wasn’t much of a conscious connection. It was more instinctive than that.
We found, especially back then, that people would listen but not really buy into the fact that building materials, interior décor choices, fabrics, paints, light and natural elements could make or break our mental and physical health.
Some thought it all sounded a little too woo-woo.
But now, after the incredible initiatives, research, projects and mounting scientific evidence growing in our industry, more people than ever are seeing the impact of healthy design on human health and our wider environment.
They’re seeing the data supporting the benefits of lighting on our circadian health; of how the natural elements in biophilic design are measurably affecting our stress levels; of how toxic materials in construction and décor are causing illness and disease.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
It’s growing at an incredible rate, and we’re excited to be a part of that.
From biophilic design and salutogenic interiors to a greater focus on circadian lighting design, air quality and non-toxic materials, the future of design has wellness and sustainability at its core.
As an industry, as this awareness grows and more people jump on the wellness-bandwagon, we need to continue contributing solid evidence to make sure these changes in interiors and architecture become commonplace in the future – and not just another passing trend or buzzword.
This isn’t about throwing a few plants into a space to tick the wellness box. There’s so much more to making interior design work well for occupants in all residential, commercial, educational and hospitality spaces.
We’re looking forward to adding to that.
If biophilic and salutogenic design are new terms to you, we’ll be talking about these in more depth over the coming weeks in our newsletter. Sign up to learn more and let us know what you think about ‘wellness by interior design’.
Director / Principal Architect
2 年Even if it is just “woo-woo” as you called it ??, contious decision making, sensitive design, careful chemical free material selections can only be a good thing. If it is “woo” we need more “woo”. Thank you for a great post. It brightend my afternoon. Baz ??